“Oh no, I hit the snooze bar once too many times!” Or “Damn traffic jam!”

As an auto commuter, there was the occasionally issue with traffic – wasn’t happy hearing about a jam on the news in the morning or the radio on the way in – but it could just as easily apply to a train delay, or a ferry delay, or bike chain problem, or whatever impact to one’s transportation that could cause a delay.

Fortunately I didn’t say either of the opening comments much. But I was also a salaried worker and if I didn’t start by exactly 8:00, there was no real impact. As a software development project manager, it wasn’t explicitly necessary that I start at exactly 8:00. Pretty much as long as I put in my eight hours and got my work done, all was OK.

But there was a time where I HAD to be at the workplace by the time I was supposed to be. And I am sure there are others that have to too. But that is the part of the joy of retirement. Or at least I hope it will be. To get up whenever, and not have that morning routine that including trying to get to the office. There will be times where the alarm clock will be needed (see the post about Alarm Clocks), but not as a timekeeper to get to the office.

Frequently there is pressure from above to “be at your desk on time!” or at least “be punched in on time!” I am by no means trying to make light of it, nor the need for some professions to have to start on time. If I had that requirement, I would probably look forward to retirement even more by not having that strict time constraint – but I am still looking forward to it anyway, as I won’t need to worry about that sort of thing anymore.